The race for Slidell's next police chief is focusing on maintaining a low crime rate and moving the department into the future while dealing with an economy that threatens to constrict the department's budget.

Voters will decide among the four candidates in the March 27 election. A runoff, if necessary, is May 1.

The winner of the election will replace Chief Freddy Drennan, who cannot seek re-election due to term limits and is running to be Slidell's next mayor.

Here is a look at the four candidates:

"J.J." Jennings

Jennings said improving the Police department's equipment and technology is a key focus of his campaign. In particular, he said he would like to ensure that patrol cars are equipped with laptops so that officers can instantly pull up information on suspicious people or vehicles and improve coordination with other agencies.

"At one time we were above other agencies" in technology, Jennings said. "I feel we fell behind and now it's time to play catch up."

"J.J." JenningsPaying for such improvements could be difficult with a budget that is "at rock bottom," Jennings said, and improvements will require using state and federal grants. Such grants could pay for new technology as well as adding positions to the department, he said.

With experience as a former New Orleans Police officer who was shot in the line of duty, Jennings said he has the background, knowledge and training necessary for the position.

Jennings said that as a former business owner who has worked in engineering and real estate, he appreciates the importance of managing an organization so that it is responsive to the public and its employees. Jennings has not accepted outside donations in the campaign and said this will help reassure citizens that his "door will be open" if they have concerns.

Jennings said he would appoint a "quality of life" officer to deal with non-emergency issues. Residents would be directed to this officer if they have concerns about suspicious activity or other issues that do not require an immediate response by a patrol unit, he said.

Jennings said Slidell officers should also use state, rather than city, laws to arrest potential illegal immigrants who are found driving without a license in the city. By using state law, those arrested will face trial before a state judge in Covington who could begin deportation proceedings, he said.

Ben Morris

Morris has focused his campaign on his experience, both as mayor and as Drennan's immediate predecessor. Such experience is necessary to deal with the complicated issues of running a department and managing a budget, particularly in difficult economic times that have constrained tax revenue.

"The real issue is that neither one of these guys ever handled anything at the chief of police level or the assistant chief level," Morris said, referring to his opponents.

During his time as chief, the Police Department became nationally accredited, an achievement in which Morris took particular pride. The department continues to be run well, he said.

Ben Morris"The fact that (the crime rate) is at a 10-year low speaks for itself," Morris said. Crime can be kept low by continuing to promote close relationships with the community through attendance at neighborhood meetings and other public outreach, he said.

The main challenge facing the agency in the near future will be dealing with an austere budget due to economic circumstances, he said. As chief, he said it would be his priority to avoid layoffs and said a knowledge of how to handle the $8-million departmental budget will be a key factor in achieving that.

While Morris has touted his experience as his chief asset, he has taken fire from all three of his opponents for his movement between the police department and the mayor's office, with all the other candidates stating such a move was not what the voters intended when they approved term limits for the positions. However, Morris said he only decided to run because his preferred candidate, Assistant Chief Jesse Simon, did not get into the race and said he will leave the decision up to the voters.

"All they have to do is look at the qualifications and compare them," he said.

Randy Smith

Smith also noted his experience, citing 24 years in law enforcement that eventually put him in charge of the Sheriff's Office patrol division in the Slidell area. Smith retired from that position to run for chief.

"I love my job, I love what I do and want to continue to serve the community I love and make a difference," Smith said.

The major challenge for Slidell Police will be bringing the agency into the 21st century, a process that should start with equipping patrol cars with laptops, a move other agencies made a decade ago, Smith said. Laptops will give police access to more information and allow them to stay out on the streets rather than having to return to the police station to write reports, he said.

Randy SmithAnother major addition proposed by Smith is the creation of a motorcycle division, mainly to deal with traffic enforcement. Noting that a major complaint of residents is speeders, Smith said officers on motorcycles will be able to respond quickly to concerns and be more accessible to the community than officers in patrol cars.

Grants could pay for the laptops while the motorcycle division would be largely funded by increased revenue from catching traffic violators, he said.

It is important that the department work with community leaders, religious organizations and neighborhood groups to ensure they are reporting suspicious activity and keeping police informed about issues, Smith said. A good relationship between the police and the community can prevent crimes, he said.

"We can't do it alone," he said.

Smith said ensuring the department takes a proactive response to crime is crucial, especially as many residents raise concerns about increases to the city's population that have brought the fear of more crime.

"If we do not, we see what's happened across the lake," Smith said. "It's hard to get it back."

Jason Zar

Zar has based his campaign around a promise to raise pay for police officers. To this end, he has vowed to accept only half of his chief's salary, allowing the rest to go to the department, and said he would lobby for a three-cent tax on alcohol in the city to help fill the department's coffers and charge agencies to use the department's training facilities.

"I don't want to become a cop," Zar said. "I want to be the person who makes sure our police officers get some kind of raise."

Without an increase in pay, officers from the department may begin to leave for other agencies, Zar said. This is particularly problematic during a slow economy, which may bring increases in crime that can only be dealt with by experienced officers, he said.

Jason ZarDealing with crime issues in Slidell requires community policing, Zar said. He also said the city should look at changing the way it deals with non-violent, first-time offenders and offer them a chance to enter a program, similar to the Police Explorers the department now runs for high schoolers, aimed at deterring them from future crimes.

If elected, Zar said he would work to close the "loophole" in the term limits so that no one could serve as either police chief or mayor for more than two terms in a lifetime.

Zar, who works for a firm that provides security for shipping companies, does not have a background in law enforcement. He said the Slidell Police Department needs a change and a leader who can see the agency from a citizen's perspective.

"I just think it's always good to have a civilian in charge of a police agency," he said.

Jeff Adelson can be reached at jadelson@timespicayune.com or 985.645.2852.